TOWARD OPTIMAL LAND DRAINAGE PUMPING

Between 1979 and 1989, the Institute of Hydrology (IH) undertook resea rch into the way in which land drainage pumping stations interact with their feeder drain networks. This work included the extensive field i nstrumentation of two pumped catchments in central eastern England. Th is paper describes the work undertaken at one of those catchments, the Boy Grift drain network and pumping station, between August 1986 and March 1989. While brief descriptions of the field equipment are includ ed, the objective of the paper is to illustrate the scope for improvin g the operation of a land drainage pumping station by pumping the same volume of water at a reduced cost. The relative merits of avoiding pu mping against high tides and during periods of expensive electrical su pply tariff are assessed. The ways in which these two constraints conf lict, are demonstrated and suggestions made toward optimal land draina ge pumping.